A Clean Tale
by FlimFlam3
Summary: Sanji and Zoro spend some time cleaning around Sunny's Kitchen. And that's it. Innuendo? I don't know what you're talking about.


The author does not owns One Piece, it's characters or elements. Tale for entertainment purposes only.

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 **A CLEAN TALE**

The day was nothing special. The crew had nothing in the agenda, so the Thousand Sunny was sailing to the nearest island where, somehow, doom, excruciating pain and unimaginable danger will be waiting the Straw Hats.

Just another day, really.

Zoro does not even remember why he went to the kitchen at that time, minutes before Sanji called the crew to enjoy… whatever escapes Luffy reach.

Sanji was cleaning up his cooking utensils.

He got one of his knifes. Gently scrubbing every food particle out of the blade, taking extra care with the edge. His movements seemed common to the common eye, But Zoro saw how careful he was to avoid having the knife upside down. Right away he got a clean rag and started to dry it.

"Worried about humidity on the tang?" The words escaped the swordsman before he could think.

"Oi, marimo, how do…" It hit Sanji before he could finish the phrase. Of course Zoro knew all about blade care. "Rust where you can't see can be a pain, you know."

"That's our fate, really. Even the best steel is prone to rust."

The cook finished drying the knife and got a small oil bottle, coating the edge with it.

"May I?"

Zoro got the bottle, checked a drop of the oil between his fingers.

"It's almost like mine."

"Really? We should start buying on bulk. Nami-sam would really appreciate the economy."

Sanji moved to a second knife, repeating the process.

"Aren't you going to finish the first?"

"The longer a blade stays dirty, the worst to clean."

"A luxury I don't have on the battlefield. I just run a cloth to remove the most obvious blood, and that's it."

Sanji showed the silk piece of cloth around his neck.

"They say that's the origin of the classic tie pattern, you know." And mimic cleaning his knife on the tie, the blade position following the stripes of it.

Without noticing, Zoro got closer to Sanji.

"It must be nice not needing to wait to do things that… need to be done."

"Yes. How do you cope?"

Zoro unsheathed one of his swords and showed the blade.

"Sandpaper."

"Hm. Must be careful not to be too rough."

"There's time to be rough, there is time to be gentle". He ran a finger near the edge "I know to be both, specially with things I care."

"I believe you." Sanji finished oiling his second knife and returned to the first, washing it again to remove all the oil, in with microscopic dirty must have adhered. "There's a lot of things we don't see."

"It's a shame, indeed. If we could see everything, things would be easier." And Zoro sheathed slowly his blade "One could have more… fun."

"Fun? I suppose, with less time wasted cleaning and more time with… what matters."

"Hm-hum."

Sanji stood motionless for a moment, water flowing on the blade. Whispering a "yes", he snapped out of it, and started to dry the blade. He was about to get the oil for the second time when…

"I c-could do it for you."

The cook eyebrow seemed to curl even more when Zoro finished.

"I know no one is supposed to touch a cook's knifes, just like the swords are like the soul of a swordsman, just… I thought…" Zoro leaned back, and started moving out of the kitchen "Forget what I thought."

"No!" answered Sanji a little too quickly "I m-mean, if you want to… it would be faster, and it would be a nice change of pace, having you being useful for once."

Sanji was offering the handle to Zoro, who took it, his fingers touching for a fraction of second.

"Gentle, remember."

"It's not my first time, ero-cook."

Zoro took a moment to feel the handle. Sturdy, as it should be, but not heavy, allowing a good balance, a knife who wants to be on the move, dancing on the swordsman hand. He cupped the knife's butt. Round, firm, as he expected. He looked at the blade. Pretty, perfect, without a single fault. Despite all his care, his swords have marks and dents, result of a violent life. Sanji's seem to be untouched, keeping the beauty of youth. Some savage beauty, but beauty nevertheless. The swordsman let a drip of oil hit the blade, glistering his way to the edge. This second coat was not to clean, but to protect the material. Zoro's finger slowly worked the full length of Sanji's blade, from the bolster to the tip, forward and back, forward and back, until everything was moist thanks to his expert movements. He stopped for a while, to again admire the instrument ahead of him, before grabbing a rag and start to gentle rub the shitty cook blade. Very slowly at first, feeling every curve on it, the thickest part, the whole anatomy. Soon, he pick up the pace, rubbing faster until the job was finished and…

"Hey, Sanji, I am hungry!"

"Luffy!"

Both nakamas shouted and blushed as their captain entered the kitchen.

A second after, he was in the floor, with a big lump on his head, as Sanji moved his leg menacingly for a second strike.

"Three more minutes, you bottomless pit."

Zoro cleaned his throat, and started to leave, dragging the rubber man along.

"We'll wait outside, curly brow."

"Ok. Hey, marimo?" Sanji was looking at his knife, and then lowered his eyes "Good work. M-mind if I… someday… reciprocate? Your swords…"

"I will be waiting for it."

* * *

 **THE END**


End file.
